Bald Eagle Nest Cam captures first egg hatching

The first egg has hatched at the nest of a pair of bald eagles in Washington. And another pair of bald eagles were just born in California.

The American Eagle Foundation confirmed a small crack on one of the Washington eggs Wednesday night. This morning, a fluffy little eaglet is in the nest.

The foundation launched the live streaming Bald Eagle Nest Cam after the eagles – nicknamed “Mr. President” and “The First Lady” – laid two eggs last month. The first was laid Feb. 10 and the second on Valentine’s Day.

The eagles set up their home high in a tulip poplar tree at the U.S. National Aboretum. This is the first Bald Eagle pair to nest at this particular location since 1947.

The foundation says the eagles have been nesting at the U.S. National Arboretum since October 2014 and raised one eaglet last summer.

Also in California

Two bald eagle chicks have hatched in a nest high in a tree in California’s Channel Islands National Park.

Park officials say the first egg hatched Saturday and the second bird poked its head out of its shell Monday in Sauces Canyon on Santa Cruz Island.

Officials say it’s the first successful hatch after three years of attempts for the parents.

The 11-year old male was brought to the island in 2005 and the female arrived in 2006 as part of an ongoing recovery effort.

Bald eagles disappeared from the Channel Islands by the 1960s because of DDT contamination. Since 2006, the birds have re-established territories on most of the eight islands.

The Sauces Canyon bald eagle pair is the first to lay eggs this season across the Channel Islands.

Live webcam video of the nest can be seen here.

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 8:56 AM with the headline "Bald Eagle Nest Cam captures first egg hatching."